It started with a lockdown pregnancy and endless nights doing zoom quizzes eagerly awaiting the day we'd be allowed to get outside again before we lost our minds. To take a step back, pre-lockdown Kieran (dad) was a full time expedition leader guiding groups in the mountains, deserts and jungles across the world whilst Sharnie (mum/mam/mammy) was working both overseas in the travel industry and at home in the weddings industry. We've always had a sense of adventure and promised ourselves post lockdown we'd make sure our children would experience the adventurous life we were fortunate enough to lead ourselves. Fast forward and few years and now we a have a 4 year old son and a soon to arrive newborn girl just a few weeks away! We’re not influencers. We’re not full-time vanlifers. We’re just a normal UK family that thrives on muddy boots, campfires, and moments that feel real — even if they come with screaming toddlers, sleepless nights, and leaky air beds. This blog and our Instagram channel, LetThemBeWild.FamilyAdventures, wasn't born out of some polished plan. It was born out of curiosity, trial and error, and a belief that family life doesn't have to shrink your world — it can expand it. We've lived and learnt the high life (the hard way) and want to share our experience with others to get more families outdoors exploring with their young children! 🏕️ Family Life Feels Too Small Indoors With our second child imminent, we realise how easy it would be to retreat — to fall into routine, stay home “just in case,” and play it safe. But that’s not who we are. We want our kids to know that the world is big and beautiful, not just something you scroll through. We want our son Ollie to learn how to light a fire before he learns how to upload a YouTube video. And we want our little girl, even as a baby, to breathe fresh air every day and tick off as many sunsets as possible before her sleep routine becomes 'normal' and she slips in to her circadian rythmn. We have no big plans. Just muddy paths, drizzly days, chaotic plans, the occasional meltdown and a passion to share our experiences of raising adventurous children with as many families as we can! 🌳 What We’ve Learned So Far We’ve learned that… . You don’t need perfect gear . You just need a backup plan (and snacks). . Temperature is key - prepare for hot and cold weather, children don't fully develop their thermoregulation until age 5 and the UK weather changes quick, always prepare for suprises! . Kids don’t care about weather . They care about puddles, marshmallows and having their parents 'present'. . Getting outdoors together makes parenting feel lighter — even when it's chaotic. The importance of being together as a family and escaping the programmed life of a 9-5 and school routine is key!. This is where memories are made...and houses are kept clean! ^_^ We always see a huge difference in Ollies happiness lasting days after we've spent time out together as family - even just a post school walk in the woods makes all the difference! And we've learned that other families — maybe like yours — want the same thing. You want to feel like you're doing something real with your time. You want to raise kids who are curious, brave, and wild-hearted. And you want to know it’s okay to mess it up sometimes along the way. That’s what LetThemBeWild.FamilyAdventures is about. 🎒 What You Can Expect From Us We’ll keep sharing our journey — the good, the muddy, and the totally unfiltered. Expect honest stories from our adventures: the van breakdowns, the soggy tents, the baby blowouts mid-walk — but also the moments that make it all worth it. Like watching Ollie roast his first marshmallow, or our baby girl giggling at the sound of rain on canvas. We'll cover our favourite days out, campsites, gear reviews and some tips and tricks along the way! Here’s what you’ll find on this blog: Recommendations for family-friendly camping spots across the UK Recommendations for adventurous activity routes across the UK (Paddleboarding, Climbing, Hiking, Biking) UK-based family adventure inspiration (SUP, Surf, Climb, Bike, Hike, Camp, Bushcraft..) Honest tips for adventuring with small kids Real stories from our travels — no filters, no Pinterest perfection Campfire recipes, birthday party ideas, forest activities, tried and tested gear reviews and more We’re learning as we go. This isn't a curated life — it’s just real family adventure, one outing at a time. If you're up for joining us, we’d love to have you follow us on Instagram or check back here for new posts every week. We’re not trying to be perfect. We’re trying to live meaningfully — and help you do the same. If you’re looking for adventure that doesn’t stop when the kids come along — you’re in the right place. Let's adventure together! Ollie, baby bump, Mum, Dad, and a boot full of muddy wellies :)

With our second newborn baby due in a few weeks I thought I'd share some quick comparisons with other countries. Background: With our first child being born at the end of lockdown with job layoffs and a severe lack of income we had to survive on the minimum statutory maternity pay and no paternity pay. Our house deposit and every spare penny we had soon dwindled away in childcare costs and just keeping our heads above water. Fast forward a few years, we're in a much better place and have more financial stability ready to raise our second child but we've felt the pain, stress and isolation that the first year of parenting brings and the goverment hasn't improved it's support for new parents, in fact it's getting worse. Most forward thinking countries understand the economic importance of having loving parents raising their own children in their first year where a child's brain develops fastest. In today's economy this is near impossible with both parents expected to work and rocketing childcare costs. Both parents and children should feel valued and a want to improve their country for the better but instead most parents feel unsupported, let down and angry. Birth rates are declining, inflation is rising and we expect our children and grand children to pay our pensions yet we barely support them in their most crucial early weeks and months of life. Should we not be investing in our countries children instead of penalising them?... As a first world country here's how we compare to more forward thinking (and the happiest per capita) countries: 🇮🇸 Iceland : Up to 12 months, split between parents, with strong pay. 🇸🇪 Sweden : 480 days (16 months) for both parents, with individual non-transferable days. 🇵🇪 Peru : up to 21 weeks . 🇱🇦 Laos : 17 weeks . 🇷🇼 Rwanda : 16 weeks . 🇰🇲 Comoros : 15 weeks . 🇧🇯 Benin , 🇾🇪 Yemen : ~12 weeks each . 🇪🇸 Spain : 16 weeks—equal paid leave for both parents as of January 2021 . 🇯🇵 Japan : Theoretical maximum of 52 weeks parental leave, with 4 weeks reserved for birth-time paternity leave. 🇳🇴 Norway : 15 weeks reserved for fathers at 100% pay . 🇨🇦 Canada : 5 weeks 🇩🇪 Germany : shared parental leave up to 14 months. The not so good.... Australia , Denmark , France , New Zealand , South Africa , Poland , Singapore , Italy , Netherlands , China , South Korea , Belgium , India , Mexico : all typically 1 week to 4 weeks. Worst performer in the western world is the 🇺🇸 USA with 0 days paternity leave. Why do the richest countries in the world value their children the least? Food for thought... Sign this petition if you believe in inmproving statutory paternity leave in the UK to better support families. 1. Extend statutory paternity leave to a minimum of six weeks. 2. Increase statutory paternity pay to full income replacement. 3. Make it a legal requirement for employers to offer flexible arrangements to employees taking paternity leave (e.g. taking in chunks.